We live in the knowledge age. Everyone wants to discuss what we should or should not be doing, and more importantly, what others should or should not be doing. Without a doubt it’s the most philisophical, debatable, and argumentive age we’ve ever seen.

When I’m taking a trip, i hope I will plan (how much it will cost) and is there air in my tires? Do I have all the necessities for my journey? What route will I take? Where am I going to stay along the way, and when I get there? We all know if we don’t plan, it’s likely we could end up by the side of the road, sleeping in the car (or something) and then there is the big question: “Why am I even taking this trip?”

Once we know that (and our passion for the trip is established) we might begin sharing with others what we are doing, where we are going, and why.

I’ve encountered so much advice along the way, and I know people are trying to be helpful. “Take water and tools” they may say “in case you break down.” “Pray first” Or maybe they’ll say “You can’t afford that trip.” (How do they know?) or maybe they will share their trip, what they did, and how it was a much better trip than you are taking!

It doesn’t matter, because if you only got one shot at your dream trip, would you let anyone take it from you? Would you let them waylay you, stop you, thwart you, or waste so much of your time you never even get there? I don’t think so!

Funny how we would take something like a “road trip” so seriously and not ponder where we are going for all eternity. (and who we will see when we get there!)

I”m sorry, I can’t allow you to take me off course! I have a dream about doing things God’s way, learning from Him, Following Him and having him say to me when I get there “Well done” “Enter in” “Glad to see you my son (daughter). He gave me the route, the plan, and he has helped me to count the cost. I don’t have time to argue about it or debate with you about whether my plan is good or bad (according to you). My Father from heaven has spoken, and I must be on my way.

Laura Grace John 4:34 “Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work”

It happens. If I were to tell you every story I have personally seen or heard where people fake being a christian, take advantage of the church (time and time again) with no remorse or repentance (or willingness to change) You’d be appalled.

I have been faced with a plethora of reactions when I say “Hey “There are con Artists” Watch out! Some say well You have to love ALL the time turn the other cheek……

“Well that’s not our business,” They say, “We just have to love, and be kind like Jesus said or did.” Really? He let the people sitting at his feet listening to him go hungry for three days (was it a fast?) He told a woman asking for healing for her daughter the children’s bread was not for dogs! There is no record of Jesus gathering his disciples together and saying “Come on boys, we’re going to hand out free meals today to everyone in the leper colony!”

I had a woman tell me (recently) that she tried to help someone (got burned) and after she’d helped this person ranted at her (she didn’t help enough apparently) and I have also experienced this myself.

When I was a property manager, I remember a couple who got the church to pay their deposit and rent, and moved in. They didn’t have a very good back ground check but hey, the church was helping, so we overlooked it in the interest of good will and charity. After all isn’t that what we are supposed to do? Love our neighbors? Jesus indicated brethren first and be wise (as serpents) but somehow that goes unheard by many as our examples of great humanitarians loom before us as “the great example” of how we should be.

This couple moved in, wrecked the place, made a mess that would make your hair curl, soiled carpet, ruined floors, stains, grease debris that cost the owner literally thousands to repair. They moved out owing two months rent, as it was never paid, and their promise to pay was not kept.

I’ve met people who say “Just go to the church for help,” there is a network of people who do this, and go from town to town, place to place, leaving damage, debris and sorrow in their wake. The people who get burned often feel God let them down somehow, or they just decide never to help anyone again and develop a ‘no trust” standard.

This is so sad (to me). Do we really need these extremes? Help everyone or help no one?

I know it’s hard to decide if someone is “worthy of help.” After all we do have the example of Jesus saying “Judge not” and there is this nugget:

“To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also. And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold yourtunic either. ” Luke 6:29

But see you have to LOOK hard at the whole picture here. Verse And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise. Verse 31 of this same passage says:

“And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.”

Do you want God to just let you be a con artist? Hurting everyone as you go? Leaving a trail of destruction in your wake? Certainly the disciples were not like this. I want God’s correction don’t you? SO see the whole counsel of God is not to just let someone rape you financially and take all your goods over and over again. And sit and cry and say “God did this to me.” I was Just obeying his word!

I don’t have time to tell you all the passages about being wise (in proverbs) It saddens me that people who don’t study the bible allow leaders (who are setting some bad examples by the way) direct their paths, (instead of learning from the Holy spirit for themselves).

I too followed their examples at one time. I gave and gave and thought “Well God would reward me” and grieved the heart of God in the process. He wept for me. Every time he tried to bless me, I thought I had to give it all away. I allowed con artists to (literally) steal from me, thinking it was God’s will. If you are a person LIKE the disciples Jesus was talking to YOU WANT Corrected. Right? (if you are being a con artist?)

Don’t be afraid to call a spade a spade Or get discernment! You won’t be less in the Kingdom of God you’ll be MORE. More able to help those God wants to help…..

Less foolish and less fooled..Not deceived! Til next time; -Laura Grace

Ever had one of those days? Someone you are trying to help (or encourage) just never seems to get enough? Reminds you of kids (at times). I compared it to geese (so long ago) as I was feeding some geese, and as I ran out of bread, (which I now understand you should not feed them bread) but in any case they surrounded me, got closer and closer, and one even tried to bite my face!

The bible compares a fool and his folly, to being met by a bear robbed of her cubs.

Proverbs 17:12 Let a bear robbed of her whelps meet a man, rather than a fool in his folly.”

MAYBE THE BEST THING is to say nothing at all.

Honestly, a person who will not listen to reason, who does not care what God (or anybody else) thinks, Who has decided they are wise or right in their own opinion, My bible says also “there is more hope for a fool, than for him.”

This is not a person you should be taking advice from, or following. It’s not a person who should be in charge of you, or one you should even submit to. Even Abigail (in the bible) though she did it in a reverent way, went to meet King David and obey God, even though her husband was foolish, and was going to bring trouble upon the whole family. King David was so impressed, he married the woman.

Proverbs 26:12 “Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? there is more hope for a fool than for him.”

It’s a snare to be caught in the snare of a fool’s words or a fool’s folly. Consider these words from Jesus who WAS before Proverbs was even written: They are words penned by the Holy Spirit to God’s servant upon this earth:

“Proverbs 6:5 Deliver yourself like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, And like a bird from the hand of the fowler. “

You can be snared by words, or promises you should not have made.

Another passage of the bible says to free ourselves from vows, that should never have been made. See, we need to look at the whole (entire) bible not just the parts we want to read Or hear right now. The whole Bible. All of it.

Jesus IS His word!

The more we know of his word, the better we will know him. The Better we know him, the better he knows us and has fellowship with us.

So love? Yes! Being snared by those who don’t love God? NO!

Did you see anyone allowed to take Jesus Down from who he was to please them or their folly? NO WAY No how!

We should not do it either. Father God please keep us in your wisdom! And Grace!

Matthew 23:24“Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!”

SOMETHING GOD SAID TO ME Awhile back “They are building a church, but not my Kingdom, and it’s eating them up inside………”

Pharisees prided themselves on how cautious they were, and how protective they were of God’s word. They were not aware of the pride growing subtly within them, as they prodeeded with no caution- as far as examining themselves, and their own hearts. They thought they’d arrived.

We have some today- who protect the building of the church, and consider themselves to be supervisors (and experts) of God’s own word.

They are so busy protecting themselves, shielding themselves, and building giant barricades to keep out evil, they fail to see the heart of God– behind every word Jesus spoke.

Self-righteousness, Pride, selfish ambitions, greed, lust, (for power not just drugs or alchohol) Are very real threats to the human soul. Why else would Jesus (and his Apostles) warn about these things so much? “take heed to yourself” (The preacher cries.)

Luke 11:35

“Therefore take heed that the light which is in you is not darkness”

In being so careful and examining things, the Pharisees missed the miracles. They missed (Out) On Jesus, the son of God. They missed out on everything God intended for them, and they were so sure (oh so sure) they were full of God’s light. He tried to warn them, but they were so focused on protecting themselves, They did not really hear him at all.

They Judged Jesus’ ways. And, cross-examined him.

If a drop of rain falls (on your head) and you needed that rain, do you examine it to see if it’s really rain at all? Or do you question where it came from? “He must be from the devil,” They said, for he did not measure up to the former words of God the way THEY Undestood it. The trouble is, they didn’t understand God’s word at all. Jesus was trying to show them, but they would not listen (or hear).

When I pray for something I don’t care who (the answer) comes from. I expect Jesus can answer any way he wants to. GOD RAISES UP THE HEAVENLY ARMOR within us as we grow in Him and study his Word WITH The Holy Spirit as our guide. He does the work. He’s the Author and finisher of our faith (and our Salvaton) which is why all the glory goes to him, not to us! We aren’t going to be commended for how SMART we are we will be commended for having Faith IN HIM!

Therefore, Pride has no place in us (or our hearts) there is no reason for any self =righteous Indignation. When we see ourselves becoming all angry about how we are not listened to or followed, we can see pride and/or self-righteousess has taken root in our heart(s).

God spoke to me about some pride I had……in an area of my life. I’m so glad he did, and he has done it before, and I pray he will do it again! And yes I did something about it. I endured the humiliation so he can make me free!

Pride you have to go! Self righteousness, you have no place in me! I Resist you satan! Get away from me with your lies and delusions of granduer! I ask you Holy Spirit to teach my heart. I ask you Jesus to purify my soul and cause me to really SEE you and hear you!

IN Jesus’ mighty name, the name above all names. I dont care how much I suffer for it Lord I want YOU And only you! and only your living word! Cleanse my soul Father wash me clean! I renounce everything that is not you Lord!

And by the way Pride doesn’t just go before the fall, it can possibly go before the great falling away…….so here’s your sign. Get rid of it! Ask God to show you if you have it! He will answer that kind of prayer! I Promise, HE WILL.

We just want to love them, Don’t we? Don’t we all? WE can love from a distance, you know? We really can.

I was studying Proverbs one night as I did for many nights, reading it over and over again. (Proverbs 2 I mean). I don’t remember how many times I sat down with my bible and read it again, and again before finally the Holy Spirit prompted me to go forward and read more. I stopped at Proverbs 4 20:21 “my son”

Give attention to my words (he says again) “incline your ear to my sayings’. And then…..”let them not depart from your eyes “KEEP THEM’ in the midst of YOUR HEART’. vs 22 “For they are LIFE to all who find them and HEALTH to all their flesh”. “Father in the name of Jesus help me present this the way you want me to “from your heart to mine, from my heart to Others’. In Jesus’ name,

…..And Father I ask you “deliver us from the evil” of the cruel one…….Amen.

The cruel one………

I got to Proverbs 5 and it says again “MY SON’ Pay attention to my wisdom, lend your ear to understanding……….”that your lips may keep knowledge’. THEN Prov 5:3 For the lips of an immoral woman drip honey……. . I thought, well that’s strange as Jesus is also “like honey” but this is a bad thing, a counterfeit really this immoral woman and I thought “who is she?”……. .and I kept praying….. …

Did God mean “Harlotry” in the natural? (I think not!) He talks about “spiritual adultery all through the OT”. So I”m realizing at this point, God is talking to ME and I am his son and he is not talking about prostitution but the adultery that grieves him all throught the OT and the new. 5:6 “Lest you ponder HER PATH of life…….. “…….Her path vs God’s path hmm……..” her ways are unstable, you do not know them”……. …(If you followed this “other” path you would need “her” (the other wisdom’s) continual guidance…. …)

(God really has my attention now I am “ALL EARS”……he says “do not depart from the words of my mouth, Remove your way ‘far from her’…….( FROM WHOM? (I say) From WHOM Lord? (that’s what I asked him!). And then he says “Do not go near the door of “her house” (who Lord? who?)………(We’ re still in Proverbs 5), God has not said “Who (yet)’ so I keep reading….. …”Don’t give your years to the cruel one” he says……(and I think about the passage “Jealousy is as cruel as the grave”

So I ask the Lord “describe cruel” and he says (and of course God is not required to refer to websters he can define his own word) Cruel: “designed to trip you up, keep you down, make you feel “bad about yourself” and so on. Satan’s type of Jealousy is CRUEL this is a different kind than “God’s’ Jealousy. satan’s type of Jealousy is wanting to stop you prevent you from going forward where God’s is designed to keep you close to him and PROTECT you. Many do not know the difference between the two types of Jealousy, they get all mixed up.

HOW THE CRUEL ONE OPERATES (after God showed me what he said up above, he started giving the information to me “faster’…. .) so this is what he told me………. …

Again, satan’s type of jealousy is like “OH no” I am “losing you” and I am “ticked”. (ticked off, mad, in hot pursuit like you are his property). No rhyme or reason to it, no looking out for your best interests only “his own”. This type will try to draw you in with “words of honey” (supposed sweetness and light) showing up WHEN you seem to need it most. AND THEN will turn on you and begin to “tear you down” tell you how “bad you are’ (or were) “beat you over the head’ so you would never dare “leave again” (leave his teaching or council) Then he’ll say it’s “chastizement” using God’s own word to lie to you! “THEN” if you try to escape or get away he will tell you that you are being fanatical or religious!

Or, he will tell you to “DO” those things God hope you won’t do like Overspend, “Party” (because you deserve it) or have a “Pity fest”. He will tell you to have one (pity fest) and be in grief and so on leading you to think he ‘really cares”. This “cruel one’ will seem to give you lots of sympathy but it’s mixed with “put downs” “controlling” and will always encourage you NOT to seek God’s word on anything!

According to “the cruel one” you don’t have time for that, and God doesn’t care anyway. Once you start listening to him you are in danger. Danger Danger Danger. As you go farther and farther into darkness, the further you go into the dark forest, the less you can see. Then you will say or perhaps this enemy will say “doesn’t God order your steps?” Didn’t he just ‘lead you here?”

His goal, ultimately is to get you to turn on God (because he is Jealous OF HIM) and to say God is ‘not Good’ after all. As the devil has more scriptures than just the ones he “threw at Jesus’ in his bag of tricks (did you know that?) he doesn’t just use ‘those three’ He uses others! (many others) and so we need this mind of Christ and need to pray for that (Amen) and to Guard our heart with all diligence, to GUARD OUR HEART as if our very lives depended on it even if we have to do it with “a shot gun” that is God’s will for us. Defend your heart! Protect it! Cherish it! That is where “the Holy Spirit lives!!” …….(amen) ………… .Love and prayers! “Father in the name of Jesus, expose the cruel one! Expose him and LET THERE BE LIGHT! In Jesus’ name, Amen!